Boss Drover – (Henry Michael Bauer.)
Henry Michael BAUER, b. 19th March 1914, Blackall QLD
Henry Bauer's early days were spent in Blackall. At the age of 13, his family moved to 'Highlands Station' near Yaraka where he worked as a stockman until he became a Boss Drover during World War II.
In 1954, with the help of his wife Gladys - a Tambo girl - as camp cook and four ringers; Red Hannan, Stan Fletcher, Ronnie Wade and Henry's eldest son Alan Bauer, Henry took delivery of 1450 bullocks at 'Nowranie Station' near Camooweal, at 5 shillings per head per hundred mile. He crossed the Northern Territory border to 'Lake Nash' where the cattle were dipped. After picking up another 250 head at 'South Galway' near Windorah, Henry headed down across the New South Wales border to Walgett. A 1700 mile trip which lasted nine months and took him into three states.
For Henry's wife, the job of cooking for five men and caring for four young children on the road under such rugged conditions, was a daunting task. This gives us an insight into the endurance of our outback women.

Queensland Blues.
In the early 1800′s, the first settlers, having limited availability of labour to control the large herds of cattle that grazed on unfenced properties and rugged bushland, set about to create a breed of dog to assist in mustering and moving wild cattle. The principal requirement of this breed of dog was that it be strong, possess great stamina, and be able to bite.
In 1840, a landowner by the name of Thomas Hall from New South Wales, imported two smooth-haired blue merle Highland Collies from Scotland. Although these were considerably better than the common collie, they proved to be less suitable for work with fractious cattle in the new, hostile and unaccustomed environment as they displayed some of the heading traits that were undesirable.
Hall experimented with native Dingo blood infusions; with the resulting litters becoming known as “Hall’s Heelers”. As the Dingo trait is to creep silently from behind and bite, the pups followed this style of heeling, nipping at the fetlocks of the stragglers until they re-joined the herd. Immediately the cattle dog nipped it would flatten itself against the ground to avoid any kick a stubborn bovine might suddenly lash out.
This dog was welcomed by grazier and drover alike for their ability to handle wild cattle, their stamina to travel great distances over all types of terrain, and their endurance in extremes of temperature. The physical appearance of the progeny closely resembled small, thickset Dingos, with their heads tending to be rather broad of skull, bluntly wedge shaped, with brown glinty eyes and pricked ears with colour being either red or blue merle. Hall continued his experimental breeding until his death in 1870.
Word of Hall’s new and superior Cattle Dog variety soon became widespread. Demand for the young stock spread rapidly throughout New South Wales, eventually reaching Northern Queensland. Around this time another landowner, George Elliot of Queensland was experimenting with the crossing of the Dingo and Collie, producing some excellent workers. He entered into his diary on the 12th of February 1873 that his two month old quarter Dingo worked so silently on cattle, he called her “Munya”, which is aboriginal for silent.
In the early 1870′s these cattle dogs found their way to the Sydney markets and it was here that some breeders decided to refine Hall’s Heelers.
Australian Cattle Dog, commonly known as the Blue Heeler, the Australian Heeler, or the Queensland Blue has developed into one of the most popular breeds of dog in Australia today.

The Subscriber’s Plate.
With few social activities available in Sydney, Governor Lachlan Macquarie began a new era in Australian popular culture when he approved the establishment of an annual racing carnival.
In October 1810, Governor Macquarie inaugurated the first official race meeting at the new Sydney Racecourse. Macquarie saw the racecourse as a perfect neutral meeting place for colonists of all classes: military, convict, emancipist and immigrant.
Funded by public subscription, in August 1810 soldiers of Macquarie's 73rd Regiment cleared and levelled ground on the eastern edge of the town and marked out the course. The straight commenced at the turn from Park Street into Elizabeth Street, with the grandstand (erected in 1813) and the winning post at the junction of Market and Elizabeth Street, on the present day site of St James Railway Station.

Arthur on Lansdowne Station. Early 1870's
Henry Somerset and his cousin Arthur had outstayed their welcome on Lansdowne Station. The bulls they were droving North for Henry McConnel had disturbed the station's cattle. Mr. Meredith, the manager threatened to punch Arthur until, on being calmly invited to do so, decided on discretion and departed quietly. They moved the bulls onwards to Northampton Downs Station where they sold 25 bulls to the Rome Brothers. These bulls would be delivered to their cattle station Welford Downs over 200 miles lower down the Barcoo.

Mrs Macquarie's Ladies Cup. First Sydney races, Hyde Park, 1810

On Monday 15 October 1810, crowds gathered on the Sydney Racecourse on new public land which the Governor named Hyde Park. The race program lasted three days and D’Arcy Wentworth's horse, Gig, ridden by his son, William Charles Wentworth, won the three mile race on the first day, marking the beginning of the Wentworth’s' strong involvement in the Sydney racing scene. On the second day of racing, Mrs. Macquarie presented the Ladies' Cup, valued at 50 guineas, to Captain Ritchie for the win by his grey gelding, Chance - the fastest horse over two miles.

William Landsborough Looking for Burke and Wills

In 1861 Landsborough was chosen by the Victorian and Queensland governments to lead a search for Burke and Wills from the Gulf of Carpentaria southwards. In the same year he applied for 15 runs of 100 sq. miles (259 km²) each and with Buchanan and Edward Cornish and formed the Landsborough River Co. to stock the new 'Plains of Promise', which he named Bowen Downs.
Critics in the Brisbane press had claimed that his search for Burke and Wills was a secondary objective because he had been commissioned by graziers to find good land.

Chilla Seeney was a well-recognised "mover and shaker" in the Australian performance horse industry during its heyday - first throughout the early years of rodeo and roughriding, then in campdrafting, and later with the formative years of the cutting horse industry. He was a man of action, driven by what he called "the three Ds" - desire, devotion and discipline, and coupled with this, a fearless competitive spirit. For Chilla winning was everything and with that fierce determination he excelled at every sporting event he set his mind to. (Karen Thrun)

Gig's Jig
Sporting Intelligence – Sydney Races 15th October 1810.
Magistrates Purse – first heat.
“The fall received by Mr. Wentworth's Gig in the first heat on the last day was occurred by a dog crossing the course. The rider (Fisher) was too much hurt to recover himself in time to remount, but the horse was not much injured by his fall.”

The 1956 Triple Dead Heat in the Hotham Handicap at Flemington.
Historically the Hotham Handicap has been a traditional lead-up for the Melbourne Cup three days later, with the winner gaining exemption from any ballot for entry to the Cup. The race is also famous due to a triple dead-heat in 1956 involving Fighting Force, Ark Royal and Pandie Sun.

Mrs. Ralph from Wave Hill
Thea's husband, Ralph Hayes was the manager for Lord Vestey on Wave Hill when Gough Whitlam handed the transfer of pastoral lease to the Gurindji People at Daguragu on August 16th 1974.. He had been a jackaroo, a stockman, and an overseer at Wave Hill, and after managing Gordon Downs Station, in the Kimberley, was returned to Wave Hill station to manage in 1969.

Mrs. Ralph from Wave Hill
Thea's husband, Ralph Hayes was the manager for Lord Vestey on Wave Hill when Gough Whitlam handed the transfer of pastoral lease to the Gurindji People at Daguragu on August 16th 1974.. He had been a jackaroo, a stockman, and an overseer at Wave Hill, and after managing Gordon Downs Station, in the Kimberley, was returned to Wave Hill station to manage in 1969.

Rockingham.
In the early days horses were scarce and expensive. Military officers and free landowners rode saddle horses to set themselves apart from the lower classes. This quickly established the cult of horse ownership. Many of the horses imported into the colony were of very high quality. Rockingham, the first English thoroughbred stallion, was shipped from South Africa in the late 1790s by a young naval officer named Henry Waterhouse.